BOY obtains patent for small screw plasticising unit

BOY has been granted a new patent for its compact, 8mm reciprocating-screw plasticising unit.

The technology was first premiered at Fakuma in 2015, where the company reported strong interest from moulders looking to produce small and micro parts.

With its 8mm diameter and 1.9cm³ screw channel volume, BOY says the plasticising unit clearly provides a shorter residence time compared to larger screw diameters.

This, the company added, offers clear advantages when processing thermally sensitive materials that existing market solutions with pre-dosing and an 8mm screw cannot achieve.

For example, when producing medical micro-osteosynthesis plates from Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT) with an injection volume of 0.06 cm³ and a part weight of 0.078g on a BOY XS, the material remains in the plasticising unit for approximately five minutes. Compared with a 12mm diameter screw, BOY says the dwell time is reduced by more than 75 percent and in the case of a 14mm diameter screw by approximately 82 percent.

The range of applications covered by the technology includes medical, automotive and electronics, as well as optics and microfluidics.

The plasticising unit was included in the BOY product portfolio as a supplement to the BOY XXS and XS injection moulding machines.